So after the night trip to spirit world I go to thinking, I don't want to go to much further with the 3rd gen with regard to mods, front bumper, winch, maybe 4.70 t-case, arb in front. That's about it, don't want to screw up a nice truck. Now even with those mods I can see that the truck will have it's limits, not many, but still. AND wifey has been making noise about "where is my 4runner, I want a 4runner too!" LOL.

So - I'm thinking of building a 2nd gen 4runner with all the spare stuff I have. I'm thinking go all the way, SAS, exo, bob the rear, aim for 40" tires?, oh and eventually a 1UZ. Keep it street "legal" - about as legal as Louie's monster - LOL. What do you think? Should I keep the rear 4 link? Should I try and 4 link the front too or use leafs like you and dbcfr? Or maybe a home made long travel IFS?

 

Hey mountain, sorry i didnt get back to ya, been busy here too. if you still have the rear glass I would still like it. Havent seen you in a while, hows the truck holding up. I busted motor mounts on chicken rock saturday messing around crawling over some rocks. time for some upgrades.

 

Dave,
with links and 40s you will not like what it drives like on the street unless you break the bank on coil overs. Stay leafs on one end or the other for the street ride now if your not worried about the street ride go for it and link it up and break out the trailer...just my $
0.02

 

Link it. If you are going to be doing that much surgery anyway, you might as well do it right. 2nd gens already did away with leaves, right? The on road characteristics might be a little odd, but I bet we could design a quick disconnect sway bar set that would work with it.

Coug- I still have the glass.

 

great- will have to get up there to get it.

 

Dbcfr, Datsayota and I (along with a friend in a stock Jeep Cherokee) hit a local trail called Spirit World this afternoon. I didn't take many photos, but I stole these from Ye Olde Book O' Faces:



The truck made it over both, one totally due to the excellent spotting ability of Dbcfr's stepson. Of course, a photo of a truck on flat ground after an obstacle is just a photo of a truck on flat ground...

We had a good run, with limited carnage. I bent up the pinch weld below the passenger door (proof that I need sliders), the jeep, Dbcfr and I all got a little rock rash on hard parts. Datsa got the worse of it. He was going up the same obstacle that I was in the second picture, but he was doing it with open diffs, when the weight of the truck suddenly dropped on a spinning tire, which snapped the axle. He made it out in 2wd.

 

what are you talking about Jacob the only rock I touched was with my rear shackle and that happens all the time now as I push harder lines(thats why there 1/2" now)....it was the bushs and trees that did my pin striping thats it and thats nothing that a can of paint wont fix... it's all the berries and oak leaves that get every where that I don't like
@ Dave if your shooting for 40's don't shoot for toyota axles shoot for 9" ford's or D60's and may be a nice 3 link in the front and a TG 3 link long travle in the rear....

 

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it. A little rock rash gives a lot of character to a rig!

 

Oh and Dave 35" are pushing what a IFS diff/axles can do...if you plan on locking a IFS in the front stick with 31" unless money is no object then I saw where Shann Campbell's last year IFS KOH car is for sale $95K....and so is his SA Moon Buggy $65K...thats a lot of $$$$ But you would be the talk of the town...

 

why did I know you were here

 

I want the moon buggy but i wont fit in it

 

I know I'm pushing those axles with 35's, but for now I'm happy to take that risk & they are easy to change, I think I will start carrying one with me now that I am pushing the truck harder than every before.

 

Dave,
That sounds like a good idea...also check into the 930 joint option...I think the weak link is the inner axle. That is the one you broke right?....

 

Dbcfr and I decided to just putter around the shop today. So... we totally rebuilt my rear shock mounting system, swapped my two worst tires for brand new ones, and changed my front leaf springs.

I didn't think to take photos of anything.

The truck is now on TG 4" springs in front. All I can say about that, is that I sincerely hope that they settle by about 4"! I am keeping an open mind about them, but so far, they ride like a trampoline when compared to my old RUF packs. It only takes about twenty minutes to swap springs out, so I can always go back to the old ones.

The new shock setup allowed me to actually fit 12" Bilstein 5125s in back. We accomplished this by cutting my old shock mounts off of the shock mount crossmember that we built last winter, and welding 1/2" bolts, pointing to the rear of the truck on. This same technique was used at the axle end, which moved the mounting point from 1" above the axle tube, to right at the rear of it, gaining about 3" of distance. It isn't done yet, but it is better than before.

Dbcfr and I are going to see what trouble we can get into in the snow tomorrow (locals- meet at Vons in Oakhurst at 9:00 if you want to go), so I will get to test our work.

 

Thats a cool shot!

 

update?

 

hey man, how's it going, you still on here? Needed some more on that radiator you got since the link no longer works.

It wasn't one from these guys was it?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Row-w-o-EO...17326871178554

If so hows it holding up? Any fitment issues?

 

Hey jacob you guys still wheeling, havent seen you guys on the forum in a while. !!

 

It's time to bring this one back from the dead. I guess that is somewhat thematic for this truck.

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to log in to YT or really do much wheeling.

So... Quick update : daughter number two arrived in March. Soft top went through a slight revision. I hauled a lot of firewood in the runner and didn't wheel enough.

And last week, a slight, long-term recurrent rod knock on startup developed into something more. The truck is benched. Dbcfr is putting a Vortex 4.3l in his rig, and his 22re block is at the machine shop. I'm going with a 268 cam, oversize valves, and a new head. The machinist said he should have the parts back to me Friday. Meanwhile, this seems like an opportune time to do a battery / airbox swap (with a Supra MAF), clean up my engine compartment, get stronger welds in a couple of places, and reconsider my spring builds. The rear is too soft, so I'll be adding at least one leaf.

In other news, we are now a two-4runner family again. We found a meticulously-maintained 97 SR5 with a 5-speed in it. She's happy, and I'm driving an Accord while I get the Firerunner back in shape. A trailer build will have to be soon.

 

Awesome! Did you get an AFM yet? If not, I can source one for you.